Cruise control is commonly provided for highway driving and is settable by the vehicle driver, typically by pressing a button when the vehicle is at the desired speed. Plus and minus buttons provide for incremental speed variation whilst the cruise control is set. Cruise control generally cannot be enabled at less than a predetermined speed, e.g. 30 kph, to avoid use in non-highway driving, such as in an urban environment.
Some vehicles are adapted for off-highway use, and it would be desirable to provide low-speed cruise control for such vehicles so as to permit progress to be maintained over rough terrain. In off-highway conditions cruise control may permit a driver, particularly a novice driver, to concentrate upon activities such as steering.
Off-highway conditions vary considerably in practice, so that it would be desirable to allow cruise control to be applied in an adaptive manner best able to permit an appropriate maximum speed of travel.
It is against this background that the present invention has been conceived. Embodiments of the invention may provide an apparatus, a method or a vehicle which addresses the above problems. Other aims and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, claims and drawings.